Well, Labor Day happened. And, you know what that means….so long summer (and summer Fridays). Sigh. Seasonal sadness aside, the VP+C team soaked up the last bit of the warmth and sunshine before returning to the fall/winter/spring grind. So, what did we do? Here’s a look:

Bottoms Up (Myung Kim, Event & Production Designer)

Since summer is my favorite season of the year, I couldn’t say goodbye before I indulged in a crisp craft beer at Blue Point Brewery in Patchogue, NY. Who knew that such a fine brewery is now bringing its local flare just an hour away?!

No Lift Off on Labor Day (Will Oh, Assistant Account Executive)

I originally had plans to greet fall – and by extension, college football season – by flying out to Ann Arbor, MI, to watch the Michigan Wolverines play. Unfortunately, my moves were dashed as Hurricane Hermine proved a difficult customer, preventing my flight out of LaGuardia.

At least he watched the game at home.

However, silver linings were abound: with the momentary shift in New York’s population outward from the city for the holiday weekend, I was able to take in the scenery sans the usual (plentiful) crowd.

Pancakes and Pictionary (Sara Gardner, Operations & Production Manager)

I’m not brave enough to try and face the crowds at the beaches over Labor Day weekend, so I just hung out around my neighborhood and cooked a lot. I had friends over on my rooftop, which turned into an impromptu game night. I highly recommend playing Pictionary – favorite drawing of the night ended up being my boyfriend’s interpretation of Beyoncé (see photo… as my friend so eloquently put it, ‘you could have just drawn a bee and some lemons and called it a day’). I decided to cap off the weekend by going to the West Indies Day Parade, which is a few blocks from my house. All in all it was an excellent long weekend!

Banana Pancakes!

Is that you Beyonce?

Hanging Out on the High Seas (Gabriel Rodriguez, Account Executive)

Few things are better than hanging out with friends at The Frying Pan. So, that’s exactly what I did.

Playing Host for Out-of-Towners (Michelle Shen, Vice President)

This weekend my boyfriend and I spent time with our Dallas friends and did some classic NYC activities including, a Broadway show (Jersey Boys), a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge and dinner at BlackTail– a new restaurant in Battery Park by the guys behind The Dead Rabbit.

Family Fun at the Fair (Lisa Jasper, Principal, Chief Innovation Officer)

My family and I hit up the Columbia County Fair in Chatham, NY for rides, games, wayyy too much fried food, prize-winning animal viewing, and at least one temporary glitter tattoo.

My girl Ruby drinking farm-fresh milk next to a milking display.

Meghan Hits The Hamptons (Meghan Dockendorf, Account Director)

For me, nothing screams LABOR DAY WEEKEND like a raunchy read, good gluten-free beer (yes, I’m that jerk), getting creamed by a “killer” wave (sorry, no pic for your pleasure), catches of the day, and sculpture. Yes, sculpture, and serious stuff at that—including works by Marko Remec and Larry Rivers, to name a few—at the lovely LongHouse Reserve. Here’s a snap shot of my weekend in the Hamptons, where the silliness never stopped, Hermine never hit and I may have found a spot to say “I do.”  P.S. I brunched, shoulder to shoulder, with Sir Paul McCartney, too. NBD. #Imayhavepeedmypants

Meeting the Family (Mel Mendez, Account Executive)

A little over a year ago I met some of my closest friends through ZogSports volleyball. Since then, we’ve vacationed, traveled, screamed, cried, and celebrated together. This weekend was an opportunity to explore Kingston, NY, and meet their families and better understand my friends through the eyes of those who have loved them from the start! Here’s a glimpse into the family fun:

A Glimpse into Brazilian Art (Gavin Strumpman, SVP Marketing)

I went to see a wonderful exhibit at the Jewish Museum called Roberto Burle Marx: Brazilian Modernist. Burke Marx was a pioneering landscape designer and architect who designed the iconic seaside walkway on Copacabana Beach in Rio. He was a multitalented artist who painted and sculptured as well as designed jewelry, set designs and costumes. He changed the face of landscape design in Brazil by rejecting traditional European designs and created gardens as modern design art pieces using indigenous plants with abstract forms. He was an early environmentalist concerned about preserving Brazil’s rich heritage.

Swoon-Worthy Sunsets (Kelly Cintra, Senior Account Executive)

This summer, I’ve been spending my weekends in Montauk. The Montauket Hotel is the best place to watch the sunset, and with a hurricane brewing this weekend the result was magnificent. Sad that summer has come to an end!

Chilling in the City (Margaret Park, Art Director)

I had a couple of trips in August, so I was happy to spend the holiday weekend in the city. A lot of people stayed back this time because of the hurricane warnings, but it was still a bit on the quiet side. Home made smoothies, avocado toast, fresh flowers from whole foods… my kinda morning to wake up to on a long weekend.

Bouncing Around BK (Michelle Addo, Senior Marketing Manager)

I had a very Brooklyn-centric Labor Day weekend. I started off by helping a friend apartment search in FiDi, a task that continued via text for the next three days. Saturday afternoon was devoted to fitness, with a pole dancing class at Brooklyn’s Finest Pole Dancing Studio and training for the upcoming Brooklyn Rock N Roll Half-Marathon at the gym. Later it was date night in Williamsburg – an acoustic show at the Pine Box Rock Shop and a midnight movie at NiteHawk Cinema.

An afternoon spent upside down.

A midnight movie all about movies – and some very strange siblings.

After a late start the following day, my friends and I began what we thought was an easy post-brunch journey over the BK Bridge to the Brooklyn Bridge Park for ice cream. Instead, we were distracted by the beautiful houses that lined the park’s promenade and decided to forgo the boardwalk for Blossom Ice Cream in Brooklyn Heights. Along the way we came across the Brooklyn Cat Café and had a quick detour to play with the kittens and learn about this fantastic organization. Best distraction ever!

Who wants to adopt this cat? I do!

Lavender & blueberry ice cream-totes worth the hike!